Guide to the Scriptures

Official Declaration 1

Printed in the closing pages of the Doctrine and Covenants, the first part of Official Declaration 1 is also known as the Manifesto. It was given by President Wilford Woodruff and presented to the members of the Church at a general conference on October 6, 1890. Beginning in 1862, various laws for the next twenty-five years made plural marriage illegal in the United States. The Lord showed Wilford Woodruff by vision and revelation what would take place if the Saints did not cease the practice of plural marriage. The Manifesto formally announced that plural marriages were no longer being performed.